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WASHINGTON, D.C., (March 23, 2016) – The American College of Preventive Medicine (ACPM), the leading U.S.-based professional association for physicians dedicated to prevention, lauded the announcement by the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) today that a pilot program of the National Diabetes Prevention Program (NDPP) has shown to improve healthcare quality while reducing costs. This recognition is an important step toward Medicare covering enrollment in this preventive service to treat diabetes, drawing the praise of ACPM and its member physicians.

"CMS' recognition of the effectiveness and efficiency of the NDPP is a critical first step toward a national investment in diabetes prevention," said ACPM Executive Director Michael Barry, CAE. "We applaud CMS’ announcement to leverage preventive care in combatting America’s diabetes epidemic, and we remain committed to helping realize the program’s full potential by educating physicians about the NDPP through our lifestyle medicine initiative and educational programs."

The NDPP is a year-long lifestyle change program developed by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). The effectiveness of this program—buoyed by insurance providers’ potential coverage and physicians' understanding when to refer patients to local CDC-recognized providers—could prove critical for the 86 million Americans who have prediabetes and the approximately 15-30% of them who will develop type 2 diabetes in the next five years.

Physicians are essential to the program's success because roughly 90% of patients with high blood glucose levels do not know they have prediabetes or that a local lifestyle change program could help them improve their health. ACPM has worked to increase awareness among physicians about the NDPP program and partnered with the CDC, American Medical Association (AMA), YMCA, and others on activities such as a 'Preventing Diabetes' panel discussion held for preventive medicine specialists and through an upcoming series of Lifestyle Medicine Trainings for providers of cardiovascular screening services to low income and underserved women.

ACPM also is set to release the Lifestyle Medicine Core Competency Online Program next month jointly with the American College of Lifestyle Medicine. This educational offering will specifically include modules on prediabetes, diabetes, and how to use evidence-based therapeutic techniques to prevent, treat, and reverse lifestyle-related chronic diseases. Though this curriculum and other lifestyle medicine activities, ACPM will continue to play a critical role in educating physicians about the NDPP and increasing overall patient referrals.

The American College of Preventive Medicine is a professional society providing leadership in research, professional education, development of public policy, and enhancement of standards of preventive medicine for and on behalf of its physician members. Uniquely trained in both clinical medicine and public health, preventive medicine specialists are equipped to understand and reduce the risks of disease, disability, and death in individuals and in population groups. ACPM provides updates on lifestyle medicine news, events, and education opportunities through the Lifestyle Medicine newsletter.